PHL 292 Section 006: Introduction to Ethics
Fall 2012
3 Credit Hours
Primary Instructor: Dr. Seth Bordner
Core Designation: Humanities
Syllabus subject to change.
This course is designed to give the students a broad introduction to the field of philosophical ethics. The primary aim is to acquaint students with the basic subject matter of ethics as it is studied within philosophy, a few central authorities and positions, and a feel for how philosophers engage with contemporary ethical issues in light of some of the historical influences on the discipline. We will read a variety of texts ranging from historical works on ethics generally to contemporary works focusing on specific moral issues.
The hope is that students will develop an understanding and appreciation of how different ethical theories apply to particular cases, and how they might begin to engage in genuine ethical debates.
Week 1: Preliminaries; Ethics and Philosophy
Weeks 2-4: False Starts—Divine Command Theory and Moral Relativism
Weeks 5-6: Ethical Theories—Virtue Ethics
Weeks 7-8: Ethical Theories—Utilitarianism
Weeks 9-14: Contemporary Moral Problems
Week 15: Catch up, Clean up, & Review
There will be three exams throughout the course; two mid-term exams and one final exam. The dates for the exams are listed below. In addition, there will be periodic, unannounced quizzes given in class to test your comprehension of the readings. These quizzes will be graded on a High Pass/Low Pass/Fail scale.
The weights of each component as it factors into your course grade are as follows:
Quizzes: 10%
First midterm exam: 25%
Second midterm exam: 30%
Final exam: 35%
A guiding principle I follow for grading is that it would be unfair for me to hold you responsible for material that either (a) I didn’t include as part of the course, or (b) I couldn’t have reasonably expected you to have learned on your own prior to or during the course. So for example, in this course, I will not be teaching you about Descartes, and since this course presupposes no prior exposure to philosophy, I cannot reasonably expect you to have learned about Descartes on your own. Hence, you will not be graded on your knowledge of Descartes. But, you are all high school graduates and students at a premiere university. As such, I can (and do) expect that you have learned how to write competently and spell correctly (in English). So, your writing and spelling can (and probably will) be taken into consideration for your grade, especially as it affects the clarity and accuracy of your answers.
I endorse the University’s statements on academic grades. To wit:
A: A grade in the A range signifies that a student satisfied the objectives of the course in an excellent manner.
B: A grade in the B range signifies that a student satisfied the objectives of the course in an above-average manner.
C: A grade in the C range signifies that a student satisfied the objectives of the course in an average manner.
D: A grade in the D range signifies that a student satisfied the objectives of the course in a below-average but acceptable manner.
F: A grade of F signifies that a student did not satisfy the objectives of the course.
Exams are scheduled and announced in advance. Make-up exams will be given only in the event of an excused absence or a documented emergency. If you know you will miss an exam date for an excusable event, you must let the instructor know at least 24 hours in advance. If you miss an exam for an emergency, you must provide documentation to that effect. In the event an exam is missed for unexcused reasons, no make-up exams will be given.
Regular attendance in class is necessary for success, but not sufficient. To come to class is not an achievement, it is to do the bare minimum. Consequently, there are no points awarded for attending class. Points may be deducted, however, for either regularly missing class or for “attending in name only” (i.e., attending and then falling asleep, or spending the class time chatting online or checking Facebook). The instructor reserves the right to penalize your final grade by as much as one full letter for egregiously poor attendance.
All students in attendance at the University of Alabama are expected to be honorable and to observe standards of conduct appropriate to a community of scholars. The University expects from its students a higher standard of conduct than the minimum required to avoid discipline. Academic misconduct includes all acts of dishonesty in any academically related matter and any knowing or intentional help or attempt to help, or conspiracy to help, another student.
The Academic Misconduct Disciplinary Policy will be followed in the event of academic misconduct.
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